


Christmas Eve in Gotham

by glymr



Category: DCU - Comicverse
Genre: Bittersweet, Christmas, Gen, Twelve Days of Fic-mas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-15
Updated: 2009-12-15
Packaged: 2017-12-10 16:28:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/788099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glymr/pseuds/glymr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Christmas Eve in Gotham was always quiet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Christmas Eve in Gotham

Christmas Eve in Gotham was always quiet. It was the kind of thing you could count on, the way Halloween would always be chaos and a half. It wasn't that the crazies were any less fucked up at Christmas, it was just that there were a lot fewer _civilians_ around for them to torment. Most people were inside on Christmas Eve.

Of course, when you *wanted* something to do...when you *wanted* to have a reason to be out in the city, whether it was kicking ass and taking names or just helping little old drunks across the street, it was really _annoying_. Jason wished he could justify breaking a couple of people out of Arkham, just so he'd have something to *do*.

The last stragglers from Midnight Mass were unlocking their doors and letting themselves into their apartments. Red Hood shivered inside his leather coat and stood from his crouch, ignoring the protests of his chilled muscles. At least the helmet kept his face warm.

Might as well head back. His squat wasn't much warmer than the outside, but there was no point in sticking around if he wasn't needed.

* * *

Jason was about to put the key in the lock when he froze. Something was Not Right. He couldn't put his finger on it, but Something was Different. He hesitated - he could scale the building and come in through the window, or through the vents - then decided to face whatever and whoever it was head-on.

Slowly and silently he turned the key, then wrenched the door open.

"...the fuck?"

The small space had been transformed.

Small, glittering lights were draped in long, curving strands along the walls. In the center of the table stood a tiny tree, complete with miniatures ornaments reflecting the lights in shimmering red and green and gold. Jason took a small step inside, glancing around suspiciously, and a blast of warm air enveloped him. In the middle of the floor sat a small space heater turning silently left and right. Jason took another step inside and shut the door behind him, looking around bemusedly. Nothing jumped out at him, so he took several more cautious steps, watching for movement from the corners of his eyes.

Nothing. Just the lights and the space heater and the tree and...

He took a deep breath. Mixed with the smell of pine and...disinfectant?...were other smells. _Wonderful_ smells.

Familiar smells.

The table was covered with foil-wrapped dishes. One of them, Jason was certain, contained Alfred's cranberry-walnut stuffing.

No longer quite so wary, Jason began to examine things more closely. Not only was the tree beautiful, it even had a tiny train track encircling the base. Jason looked for and found the switch, his eyes widening when the ridiculously small train actually began to move around the track.

The tree itself was only about a foot high, but it was real. The ornaments were scaled to match. Aside from the traditional reflective globes, Jason saw gilded instruments, drums and harps and a violin and bow. A brightly-painted nutcracker swung from one branch, a tin soldier from another. Atop the tree nested a bird...a robin...so realistic that Jason half-expected it to cock its head at him and burst into song.

Sitting down heavily in the chair, Jason covered his face with his hands and laughed until he cried.


End file.
